The Chocolate Adventures of TenaciousM

Category Archives: TenaciousM Art and Culture

The best part of Christmas is spending time with close and extended family and friends. I really love that as our lives evolve and change we never remain stagnant and continually add new experiences and traditions to spice things up.

On this Christmas, us girls decided to start a new Christmas Day movie tradition. A bad movie would have probably ended the thought, however, we went to see “Hidden Figures.” The movie is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

I give the movie 4 out of 4 stars for story concept and music score which was the perfect accompaniment. But most of all, because of the intelligence, courage and grace of these three previously unsung women, perhaps we are all becoming less hidden from each other.

I visited Chicago this past weekend to see friends from the time when I lived there and beyond. Specifically, my friend Carmelia Wrenn-Martin. I wanted to support her entrepreneur efforts at opening “Epiphany” Restaurant in Lincoln Park (734 W. Fullerton). The food is Cajun-inspired comfort food and absolutely delicious. Also, the location is actually great with adequate street parking for the area. Stop by and enjoy!! I did, and took my TenaciousM Posse with me.

This post is in partnership with the History News Network, the website that puts the news into historical perspective. The article below was originally published at HNN.

The Hypocrisy of American Slavery

Who: Frederick Douglass

When: July 4, 1852

Why it matters: On the day marking American Independence, Frederick Douglass delivered a cutting speech denouncing American society. In the speech he demands to know how a people who pride themselves on liberty and equality can rightfully celebrate these ideals when millions are enslaved. Douglass chastises every American as a hypocrite, noting the irony in the 4th of July festivities taking place as he spoke.

Memorable quote: “What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.”